


I will always find you

by Reesa



Category: Justice League Dark (2017), Justice League Dark: Apokolips War (2020), Justice League vs. Teen Titans (2016), Teen Titans: The Judas Contract (2017)
Genre: Did I say kinda enough, F/M, I'm just (kinda) filling in the gaps, If you watched JLDAW you know where this goes, Oh and Damian POV, Spoilers for Justice League Dark: Apokolips War, angst (kinda), one-sided (kinda)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-22
Updated: 2020-05-22
Packaged: 2021-03-02 21:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,948
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24313354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Reesa/pseuds/Reesa
Summary: Spoilers for JLDAW:Damian saw his teammates die. He almost lost his brother. He definitely lost Raven.Damian Wayne, the leader of assassins, the grandson of the Demon’s Head, was nervous and nearly sick.
Relationships: Damian Wayne/Raven, Raven/Damian Wayne
Comments: 5
Kudos: 142





	I will always find you

Damian barely made it out alive.

He remembers sinking, feeling light as the water surrounded him. He couldn’t stay conscious, but he had to.

He tried to blink, but opening his eyes was a struggle.

He’s survived worse. So he tried again.

He opened his eyes and saw red. His blood. He was bleeding. He was injured, but somehow he survived against those horrible hybrid Paradooms.

What about the Titans? Were they making it out alive too?

...Was he?

He quickly thought of the next practical moves: swim up and fight along with his team until his last breath.

But he was already taking his last breaths. He’s been in the water long enough to lose a lot of oxygen, but he had to fight.

It should've been difficult to hear under the depth of water he reached, but he could still hear the battle.

He started swimming as quickly as he could despite his injuries. The screams and slaughter became louder, but all of it was all too familiar to his ears.

After a while, his hands finally crashed through the surface of the water, and he thrust his head out to take a deep breath before gearing himself up for another fight.

But the screams and slaughter died down.

He blinked to see clearer. He opened his heavy-lidded eyes and only saw red. So much blood splattered everywhere.

And then he spotted dark blue. A dark blue cowl over Raven.

He jumped out of the water and ran to her, calling her name.

She didn’t turn to look at him, but the more focused his senses got, the more he could make out what she was doing. She was kneeling beside one of the many limp and lifeless bodies.

“Please work, don’t die on me,” he could hear her whisper desperately, but the strong tremble in her voice showed how weak she got from the fight.

He was relieved she managed to stay unscathed. He tried calling for her again, as he looked around to see the damage. Far too gone, as he expected from a plan formed by that extremely naive Kent.

When she still didn’t respond, he crouched by her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. “Raven,” he said softly, throat strained from almost drowning.

She bowed her head and shook under his touch. “I can’t heal them. Why can’t I heal them?” she said in disbelief.

“You know why,” Damian answered, trying to find empathy at this moment. He knew she needed it, but it was hard to feel sadness when he was only growing angrier over how horribly this all went.

“They’re...they’re gone...” Raven muttered, “and...and they took Kori...”

Damian had ideas as to what Darkseid planned for her, along with the others they’d lost before the tower was swarmed. Almost everyone in the Justice League was taken; a few left for dead.

Damian took a deep breath. He wasn’t surprised he and Raven survived. But he was surprised the rest of his teammates didn’t make it.

“Get up,” he tried to sound kinder, but his voice sounded venomous even to his own ears. Raven didn’t show that she noticed, and stood up with him.

She nearly fell against him from her weakened state. He could barely stand up himself. The only thing keeping him up was his rage. It was building up inside him, overpowering his spiraling sadness.

“Raven, we have to go. They will come back.”

“We can’t leave them here. We can’t. I can’t.”

“Raven, please. We need to get away from here.”

“I can’t, I can’t, I won’t—“

“Raven!” He felt his own hands grip her by her shoulders and forced her to look at him, but her head was still down, averting his gaze. “We need to leave!”

He was becoming desperate now, knowing that they managed to survive this battle, but definitely not the next.

“Damian, we have to try to save them.”

“How?” He loosened his grip when there was no use trying to get Raven to see him and to heed his words. It seemed she was also far too gone.

He walked a few steps away, sighing frustratedly and combing through his wet hair in agitation.

Raven watched him and suggested, “We can...bring them with us. I can try healing them later.”

“They’re in pieces.”

“Damian...” She hardly hid her disdain. He could hardly care.

He held his head up, looking at the indifferent sky. It was turning into dusk but still the sun shone fiercely, as if it was a reminder that it was always there. Something to find your bearings. Something to return to.

He made up his mind. He still had a home to return to. He would take Raven with him. They would be safe.

“Come with me,” he said as a general would to a soldier, not a young man showing his heart to the woman he loved. “We can go to the League of Assassins.”

He could see her shake her head slightly.

He kept going, “We could rule together.” He blurted out one of the deepest fantasies he’s ever had. To rule with his queen, with the one he loved more than anyone in this world. To be with her, with Raven, who brought light into the darkness he only ever knew.

“I...” Raven started. He held his breath at her words. He could hear the waves crash against the land. He could feel the chill in the air. He could feel the rise of his skin as he waited with bated breath.

Then his world sank back into darkness when she said, “I can’t.” All he could see was red.

* * *

Mere moments after he walked away from Raven’s rejection, and not in his best mindset, he carried his brother and somehow ended up in the Lazarus Pit, begging for something to work so that not everything went to hell.

It was worse. It was so much worse.

The league welcomed him but locked up his brother. He was easily given the role of the leader; the love of his life was still out there, caring for the dead. He was going to keep his people alive; she would do the same.

Many days and many nights leading the assassins, he spent the little time he had to himself wishing she could keep people alive along his side.

He wished she said yes.

But during those many days and many nights, he convinced himself it was for the best. How could Raven ever love him and stay with him?

In terror-filled nights and nightmarish days, he remembered Raven trying to heal their battered friends, and him trying to convince her to walk away. He should’ve known better. Of course she wanted to stay. She was the most honourable person he knew.

* * *

Two years pass.

The nights are less lonely and the days pass easier. As they would with the many responsibilities he has as the leader of assassins.

Every day he tries to visit his brother; every day a reminder of his failures on that fateful day.

His family was torn apart.

His closest friend, his beloved is somewhere he doesn't know. And maybe that was for the best.

He shakes his head, scolding himself. There is no time to sulk over bad decisions. He has been a leader for two years now. There are more dire things to think about other than Raven, the most beautiful and loveliest person in this entire world.

He is most certainly sulking.

It's rare to have moments like this, when he can have a thought to himself, but everything has been operating at an optimal level, considering apocalypse is upon them.

Naturally, with the end of the world coming, he can’t help but think of how this would be more bearable if he had Raven by his side.

And as if for once the heavens heard him. A wonderful day arrives...

* * *

There must be someone watching over him.

He can barely believe his eyes.

He blinks his eyes. She's there. He blinks again. She's still there.

He's not dreaming. He's not hallucinating. Raven is really there.

Raven's here, in Infinity Island, at the entrance of his league. Assassins run up to her and her questionable companions. By the time Raven shows she's not in her peak condition, Damian immediately collects his thoughts and commands his followers stop.

Kent is right to bring Raven along. Otherwise, he would've been dead on sight.

Soon, Damian's patience is rewarded. He watches Raven rest as he speaks with Kent. Maybe the hare-brained hero gained redemption after all.

Then that means it's time for Damian to redeem himself too. He makes up his mind. Waking up Raven from a nightmare is an old habit. He's gentle this time; with kind eyes and a careful tone, he asks her if she's had enough rest. She lies, but he knows better than to prod.

As a way to apologize for his sins and to absolve his foolish actions from two years ago, he shows Raven what he did to Dick, and he faces her judgment.

And then, he agrees to any help they need. Raven, at the very least, deserves that.

For the next while, fighting along her side brings back great memories of being Robin, being in the tower, being a Titan, before all hell broke loose. During this nearly impossible mission, another one led by the damnable Kent, Damian isn't as frustrated as he thought he'd be. Considering the shitshow from two years ago, it was easier this time to follow Kent's plans.

It's obvious it's because he's reunited with Raven. And he remembers why he loves her all over again.

Then, an opportunity comes along.

After reacquainting with the Suicide Squad, Damian takes initiative and asks for a room. He's not impressed that Harley Quinn of all people sees through his ruse.

That doesn't matter; he had Raven all to himself, even for a little while.

Finally, in a moment alone with her, amidst the end of the world, he forces himself to confess: “I had feelings for you.” He can hear his voice cower. He can feel the heaviness of his closed eyelids. He's too scared to see her face, to re-enact the same scene from two years ago, to be rejected again.

His own father didn’t scare him. No villain in Gotham or Jump unnerved him. He survived the Paradooms and trained assassins to fight well against them.

But confessing his love to the only person he’s ever loved like this—heat-raising and electric—he admits he's _scared_. Damian Wayne, the leader of assassins, the grandson of the Demon’s Head, was nervous and nearly sick.

And then Raven gave him a reason. She was protecting him. She’s been protecting him.

If only he could kiss her then and there, but he wasn’t sure if she feels the same way. And they have a world to save.

With her by his side, he knows they can do it, and they'll have all the time in the world to make up for lost time.

* * *

Or maybe all the time in the next world.

He holds her hand as they watch Flash take off. This was a practical decision to save their planet.

He knows that he will make the same practical decisions in the next life. In any life.

As long as she’ll be somewhere he can find, he knows that he will fall in love with her all over again.

Suffice to say, as the bright lights reach them, and she still holds her lips against his, he means to keep his promise. “I will always find you.”


End file.
